Highway striper



Nov. 19, 1946. R. A. BOSSI HIGHWAY STRIPER Filed March 3, 1939 5Sheets-Sheet 1 mhmww.

- \nvenTcm Romeo A.Bos.si 57 ATTyS.

Nov. 19, 1940. R. A. BOSS] HIGHWAY STRIPER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March5, 1939 lnvenfor. Romeo A. Bossi R. A. BQSSI ,908

H-IGHWAY STRIPER Filed March 3, 1959 I s Sheets-Sheet 3 \nveni'ofi RomeoA. Bossi R. A. BOSS! 2,221,908

HIGHWAY STRIPER Filed March 5, 1939 5' Sheets-Sheet 4 Nov, 19, 1940, R.A. BOSS! 2,221,908

HIGHWAY STRIPER Filed March 3, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

m \nvenTor. I83- Romeo ABossib mwwm" AH YS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1940.

UNITED STATES HIGHWAY STRIPER Romeo A. Bosai, Newton Center, Mass.

Application March 3, 1939, Serial No. 259,585

This invention has for its object the painting along a highway of astripe such as now extensively employed for indicating tramc lanes.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for painting such astripe which will apply the stripe to the roadway rapidly and accuratelyalong the predetermined line and with a minimum amount of labor.

The object of the invention is further to provide a machine of a novelcharacter, preferably self-propelling, which will enable the driverreadily and accurately to guide the machine along the desired line.

The object of the invention is further to provide means for insuring asharply defined beginning and ending of the painted stripe section.

The object of the invention is further to provide pattern-controlledmeans for painting the stripe.

The object of the invention is further to provide the machine with meansfor indicating the position of the front supporting wheels laterallywith respect to the desired position of the painted stripe on theroadway.

The object of the invention is further to provide means by which theposition of the machine with respect to the sides of the roadway may beindicated.

The object of the invention is further to provide means by which themachine may be employed to mark upon the roadway the line substantiallyto be followed with the application of the painted stripe.

These and other objects and features of the invention will appear morefully from the accompanying description and drawings and will beparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate. a simple and preferred 40 form of machineembodying the invention with the portions thereof which may be ofgenerally standard construction and with which the inven in Fig. l withsome of the parts omitted to sim- 50 plify the illustration, with thefront body section indicated in dotted lines in a second position, andwith an auxiliary mechanism for painting a side stripe indicated indotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a view chiefly in transverse vertical 55 'cross section takenthrough the pivotal connection between the rear and body sections of'the machine. i

Fig. 4 is a view partially in side elevation and partially in verticalcross section of the main elements involved in the application of thepainted stripe to .the roadway.

Fig. 5 is a detail chiefly in vertical cross section of the auxiliarymechanism for painting a side stripe.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the main elements 10 of a pattern mechanismfor controlling the discharge of strip sections of material to becarried by the wheels to the roadway at the beginning and the end of thestriped sections and for controlling the discharge -'of the paint.

' Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 6. I

Fig. 8 is a rear elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a .detail of a lever mechanism shown in Figs. 6 to 8.

It has long 'beencommon to mark the surface of highways travelled byautomobiles with narrow, painted stripes either continuous or in spacedsections for the purpose of indicating trafiic lanes or for separatingthe portions of the highway designed for travel in opposite directions.These stripes are of different colors, depending upon the color of theroadway, and difierent materials are employed for the stripes. The termpain is herein used as broadly descriptive of any suitable materialwhich may be employed for this purpose.

The application of these painted stripes to the roadway is generallyperformed by hand or by means of very simple mechanisms and isnecessarily a relatively slow and expensive operation. It is necessary,moreover, that the stripes shall be applied with substantial accuracy sothat the lanes of traffic shall be properly distributed, giving to eachlane its proper share of the width of the roadway. Furthermore, it isdesirable from an aesthetic standpoint that the stripes shall be markedwith straight lines and smooth, even curves in correspondence with thepath of the roadway.

The present invention in its preferred form provides a self-propellingmachine which may be driven along the highway, occupying a mini mumamount of space, and guided so as rapidly and accurately to apply therequired painted stripe either continuous or in required spaced sectionsthroughout any desired length and in accordance with any variation inthe direction of the roadway.

In its preferred form the machine comprises two body sections, a rearbody section I and a front body section 2. The rear body section isprovided with a pair of supporting wheels 3. Thesesupporting wheels 3are preferably to be operated in the same manner as the driving wheelsof an ordinary automobile, the motor therefore being indicated at 4.Since the means for driving and controlling these wheels may be of anysuitable or standard type, no further illustration or descriptionthereof is necessary. The frame 5 of the rear section at its forward endcurves upward and tapers into a vertical head 6 provided with a centralvertical shaft bearing.

The front section 2 narrows in width toward the front end and theframework thereof includes a central girder I extending in thelongitudinal axis of the front section. This girder terminates at thefront in a head 8 directly above the head 6.

The front section 2 of the body is provided with a pair of supportingwheels maintained at all times parallel with the longitudinal axis ofthe front section. These wheels act not only to support the frontsection of the machine but also the front end of the entire machine andare also spaced apart the width of the desired stripe so that the paintmay be applied to the roadway between these wheels with the width of thestripe defined thereby.

These front supporting wheels 9 and III are carried by a shaft H securedin the arms of a yoke l2 having a central, vertically extending shaftI3. This shaft is journalled in the vertical bearing of the head 6 andis securely fastened in the head 8, its upper end l4 being shown aspolygonal and having a tight fit in a polygonal opening in the head 8. Aball bearing I5 is shown interposed between the yoke l2 and the head 6so that that weight of the front section is transmitted directly throughthe shaft l3 to the supporting wheels 9, while the weight of the rearsection is transmitted through the ball hearing to the yoke and thenceto the supporting wheels.

The front section of the body in the rear of and in longitudinalalignment with the pivotal axis l3 and the front wheels present aplatform l6 which at the rear is of arcuate shape having its center atthe shaft l3, and

fits against an upstanding portion ll of the rear body section ofsimilar arcuate shape. The front section of the body fits within therear section and at its rear slides upon a transverse girder I8 mountedin the rear section. Thus there is pro- 5 vided by the shaft I3 apivotal connection bewheels.

tween the two body sections having its axis vertical and extendingmidway the front supporting The driver is located on the platformpreferably in a seat I9 located centrally on the front section so thatthe driver sits with his legs straddling the girder 1 directly over the70 port the front end of the machine and also act 75 illustrated inwhich a steering post 29 having a to direct the path of movement of themachine. Any suitable means may be employed for steering the machine bymeans of the front supporting wheels. A simple and preferredconstruction is hand wheel 2| is journalled in the front section infront of the drivers seat and is provided at its lower end with a pinion22 engaging an arcuate rack 23 formed on the frame 5 of the rear sectionwith its center coincident with the axis of the shaft l3.

Both the rear and the front section of the body are preferably closedin, the rear section being shown as provided with a door 24 at one sideand the front section with a door 25, the central portion of the frontsection being set down into the rear section as illustrated. The top ofthe front section is provided with a suitable hood 26 to protect thedriver and with a suitable dash or instrument board 21.

The paint for marking the stripe on the roadway, as already noted, isapplied directly between the front supporting wheels 9 and I8 and thewidth of the stripe is defined by these wheels. A preferred constructionis illustrated more in detail in Figs. 3 and 4. The wheels 9 and ID arejournalled on sleeves 28. These sleeves are provided with centralopenings fitting the shaft II which is of polygonal cross section andare longitudinally adjustable on the shaft so as to adjust the width orspace between the wheels. For that purpose each sleeve 28 at its outerend is provided with a pin 29 passing therethrough and through one ofthe holes 30 in the shaft II. Each wheel is journalled on its sleevebetween an annular shoulder 3| and a removable cap 32. Each wheel isprovided with a slightly resilient tire 33 having a flat tread 34 and afiat inner side surface 35 with these inner side surfaces preferablyparallel. These tires are preferably made of heavy, slightly resilientrubber and are secured in place by any suitable means. As shown, thetires are solid, provided with radial pins 36 having projecting heads 31fitting into grooves or recesses in the solid hub portion of the wheelsand held in place by removable annular side plates 38 secured inposition by screws 39.

A spray nozzle head 40 is supported directly beneath the shaft llbetween the wheels with its opening 4| extending close to the roadway.This spray nozzle head and the means for supplying the paint thereto anddischarging it therefrom may be of any suitable design and constructionin accordance with the broader scope of the invention.

A simple and preferred form of means for supplying and discharging thepaint is illustrated. In the rear body section there is mounted a tankor container 42 containing the supply of paint, an air compressor 43operated from the motor 4, and a tank 44 of compressed air maintained bythe air compressor. A pipe connection extends from the paint tank 42 tothe nozzle 40. As illustrated, this pipe connection comprises a rigidsection 45 supported by brackets 46 from the shaft II and the yoke l2and entering a valve head 41. The portion of this pipe connectionextending between the front and rear body sections must be flexible inorder to permit the turning of the front section of the body withrespect to the rear section and, as shown, the section 48 of this pipeconnection is a flexible hose extending from the section 45 back [30 thepaint tank 42. Similarly there is provided a pipe connection from thesource of compressed air to the spray nozzle. This is shown asa rigidpip 49 entering the valve head 4'! and supported likewise by thebrackets 46 and with a flexible section or hose 50 extending back to thecompressed air tank 44. The compressed air tank is also preferablyconnected to the paint tank 42 as by the connection 5| to assist instirring up the paint. Asuitable valve 5 mechanism for controlling thedischarge of paint from the valve head 41 to the nozzle is provided andis indicated as operated by a lever 52. To provide for an easy feedingof the paint through the nozzle opening 4| without too much spattering,a baffle plate 53 is shown as located in the spray nozzle head 40extending longitudinally thereof.

Since the flat, inner side surfaces of the tires of the wheels act tolimit and define the width of the stripe formed by the paint dischargedfrom the nozzle, more or less paint may collect upon these surfaces andmight work onto the treads and would tend to make the edges of thepainted stripe uneven. Means are therefore provided for keeping thetires free from the paint. For that purpose a receptacle, preferablyformed of metal, is supported on the shaft ll between the wheels, andwipers are provided engaging the inner side faces of the tires andacting to wipe paint therefrom and discharge it into the receptacle.This receptacle, which is shown in vertical cross section in Fig. 4 andthe upper part of which is shown in transverse section in Fig. 3, is abox-like structure open at so the top. The rear wall 54 standssubstantially vertical but is formed with a shoulder 55 seated upon andsecured to the shaft H. The front wall 56 extends upward generallyparallel with the rear wall and the bottom wall 51 is located 95 wellbelow the shaft H. The side walls 5 8 flare outwardly and extend beneathinward projecting portions of the tires 33. Two or more wipers may beprovided and three pairs are herein shown. Each wiper is a curved metalblade having a strip 59 of felt or suitable material removably securedto and projecting from its edge and fitting snugly against the innerface 35 of the tire and its lower end adiustably mounted as by the setscrews 60 upon transverse bars 6! extending between the side walls 58 ofthe re-.

ceptacle. The wipers therefore act to engage the inner side faces of thetire and, as the wheels rotate, to wipe therefrom any paint carriedthereon and. discharge it into the receptacle which will be cleaned outfrom time to time.

It is desirable that the painted stripe, whether.

continuous or in sections, shall begin and end with a sharply definedtransverse straight line and this would be difficult, if not practicallyimpossible, to secure simply by starting and stopping the feed ondischarge of the paint from the nozzle mouth. The invention thereforeprovides means for insuring that the stripe or striped section shallbegin and end with such a 0 sharply defined line. This, as well as thefeed or discharge of the paint, may be controlled manually by the driverof the machine or, as further provided by the invention, may becontrolled by a pattern mechanism to act automat- 65 ically when thestrfipe is to be formed in a number of longitudinally separatedsections.

In the construction illustrated, a roll of suitable sheet materialis-mounted in front of and above the front supporting wheelsand at the 0beginning or the end of a stripe or striped section a strip section ofthis sheet material is discharged onto the supporting wheelsso as toextend transversely thereof and across the intervening space and becarried thereby to the roadway to receive the paint at the end of thestripe or striped section. When this strip section reaches the roadway,the discharge of the paint is begun or stopped according as the stripeor striped section is beginning or ending so that the painted stripe onthe roadway ends with 'a I straight line sharply defined by the edge ofthe section of the sheet material. As the rotation of the wheelscontinues, this section of sheet material with .the paint thereon iscarried up by the wheels and stripped off into a receptacle. m

In the constructiondllustrated, the roll 62 'of sheet material ismounted on a shaft 63 supported between brackets 64 secured to andprojecting forward from the yoke I2. Any suitable material may beemployed but preferably 15 this material is paper coated on one facewith an adhesive which will adhere to the tread surfaces of the tiresbut which will not readily adhere to the opposite surface of the paperwhen rolled up. Beneath the roll of sheet material 20 there is mountedon a shaft 85 journalled in the brackets 64 a cylinder 66 having aperipheral layer Bl of rubber or suitable resilient material.

.This peripheral layer 61 does not extend over a short segment of thecylinder 66 and opposite 25 this segment and interiorly the cylinder isprovided with a heavy weight 68. A sharp knife 69 projects from the.cylinder midway the ends of the layer 61 andtransversely of thecylinder.

A lug 30 extends from the shaft 65 down along- 30 side one of thebrackets 66 and engages the hooked end of a lever H fulcrumed at 12- onthe bracket. The parts are positioned, as shown in Fig. 4, when the lugI0 is locked by the lever H. The strip of paper leads from the roll 6235 over a bar 13 mounted in the bracket 6t and is held in engagementwith the outer periphery of the rubber-covered cylinder 66 by a starwheel it freely revolubl on a shaft 15 mounted on the bracket 64. When,now, the latch lever H is tripped, releasing the lug Hi, the weight 68causes the rubber-covered cylinder to rotate counterclockwise, feedingthe strip of sheet material into engagement with the tread surfaces ofthe front supporting wheels so that it extends transversely across thesewheels and across the intervening space. The rotation of the wheels,

as the machine moves forward, continues the rotation of therubber-covered cylinder with the strip of sheet material pressed betweenand adhering to the treads of the supporting wheels until'the cylinderhas made one revolution and the knife 69 coming into engagement with thestrip stretched across the space opposite the weight has severed thestrip. The lug 10 then 35 again engages the latch lever 1! which hasbeen returned to locking position by the spring 16. The strip of sheetmaterial is now carried by the further rotation of the supporting wheelsto the roadway. If it is at the beginning of a stripe or stripedsection, the discharge of paint is started so that it begins upon thestrip laid upon the roadway and if it is at the end of a stripe orstriped section, the discharge of paint is stopped so that the paintends on the strip section. Thus in either case a clean, sharp line isformed at. the end of the painted stripe. As the rotation of thesupporting wheels continues,

-the strip section is carried upward, adhering to the treads until itengages the end II of a 7i stripper plate projecting between the wheels.This stripper plate I8 is mounted inside of and secured to the sidewalls of a receptacle 19. The side walls of this receptacle are boltedto the yoke I2 and hold the receptacle close to and in the '75 rear ofthe supporting wheels. Consequently, as

the rotation of the wheels continues, the strip of sheet material withthe paint thereon is removed by the stripper and discharged into thereceptacle.

When the striped sections being painted are long or substantiallycontinuous, the control of the discharge of paint and of the dischargeof the strip material at the beginning and end of the stripe ispreferably manual. As a simple means for such control, a connector 80may extend from the end of the latch lever 1I up to a suitable control,as 9I on the dashboard 21 within reach of the driver and a secondconnector 82 may extend from the end of the lever 52 to a control 83 onthe dashboard. Thus the driver, by pulling on the controls 9! and 83,may start the discharge of paint and the discharge of the strip of sheetmaterial. The control 03 would be locked in open position as long as thedischarge of paint is continued, and when it was to be stopped, it wouldbe released 7 and a suitable spring such as 84 would act to close thevalves and stop the discharge of paint.

:5 The invention further provides pattem-con trolled mechanism forcontrolling the discharge of the paint and the discharging of thesections of sheet material at the beginning and the end of a stripedsection so that these features will operate automatically as long as arequired arrangement of separated painted stripe sections are to bepainted upon the roadway. A simple and preferred mechanism for efiectingsuch an automatic control is illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9,

inclusive. The main elements of this mechanism are preferably mountedas'indicated generally at 95 on the front body section beneath thedriver's seat and power is supplied thereto by a flexible cable 96having a pinion 81 and gear 88 conneco tion with one of the rear wheels3. The mechanism illustrated comprises a bed plate 89. Bearing brackets90 and 9I extend upward from the bed plate at opposite sides, The mainportion of the bracket 90 is hinged at the bottom at 92 to the bed plateand the end portion is secured to the bed plate by a bolt 93. Thebracket 9I is secured to the bed plate by bolts 94. A shaft 95 isjournalled in the main portion of the bracket 90 and in an open bearingin the bracket 9|.

5. A second shaft 95 is journalled in the two brackets. A shaft 95 haskeyed thereto a roller 91 and a similar roller 98 is carried by a shaft99 journalled in open bearings in the brackets I 00 which are adjustabletoward and from the roller 91.

5 For this purpose the brackets I00 are dovetailed into groovesJilI onthe bed plate and are locked in adjusted position by set screws I03, theheads I04 of which are likewise dovetailed into the grooves. An endlessbelt I05 or other suitable m flexible element extends around the rolls91 and 99 and is so arranged as to be driven by rotation of the roll 91.This belt has adjustably mount-- ed therein pins or strikers whichconstitute the pattern elements. As illustrated, the belt is providedwith a series of holes or eyelets I06 into which suitable pins I01 maybe inserted as required. It will be seen that by adjusting the rear roll98 toward and from the front roll 91 any desired length of endless beltmay be provided. The shaft 95 with the main portion of the bracket 90may be swung on the hinge 92 to allow of removal and replacement of thepattern belts. The roll 91 is driven, to drive the traveling belt I05,from the flexible shaft al- 7; ready referred to. As illustrated, thisshaft is iournallecl at its end in a bearing I00 forming the end of astud I09 secured in the hinged portion of the bracket 90. At its end theshaft 05 is provided with a bevelled pinion IIO meshing with a bevelledgear III journalled on the outer 5 end of the shaft 95 and held againstmovement longitudinally of the shaft by a peripheral groove II2 engaginga disk II3 rotatable on the stud I09 to hold against movementlongitudinally thereof and a disk II4 similarly mounted on a 10 stud II5also secured in the bracket 90. The gear III carries a clutch member H8and a cooperating clutch member H1 is secured to the shaft 95, At theouter end this shaft is provided with a hand wheel II8. A latch II9 is Imounted on the bracket 9I and may be slid into engagement over either oftwo grooves I20 in the shaft 95 both to hold the shaft in the openbearing and to position the clutch. When it, is desired to have thepattern mechanism operate, the $0 shaft 95 is pushed inward carrying theclutch member II1 into engagement with the clutch member II9 and thelatch II9 is slid overthe outer groove of the shaft 95. Thereupon thepattern belt will be continuously driven in synchronism with the forwardmovement of the entire machine. the shaft 88 being driven, it will beremembered, from one of the rear wheels. The control for the dischargeof the strip sections of sheet material to define the beginning and end30 of the stripe is operated by the shaft 95. Arms I2I and I22 areadjustably secured to this shaft at I23 and I24 and project in the pathsof the pins I01. The outer end of the shaft 95 has secured thereto alever arm I25. A spring I25 ex- 35 tending between this lever arm andthe bracket acts to hold the lever arm against a pin I21 with the armsI22 in position to be struck by the pins I01. A suitable connector I29extends from the end of the lever arm I25 to the latch lever 40 1I. Thusit will be seen that by positioning a pin in either of the rows of holesI06 in the belt I05, the shaft will be rocked at a predetermined time tounlatch the lever H from the lug 10 and effect the discharge of thestrip of sheet 45 material with the same result as in the case of the'manual operation already described. The .control of the discharge ofthe paint from this pattern mechanism is shown as secured by means of alever I29 mounted on a vertical shaft I30 50 beneath the lower run ofthe belt I05. This lever is releasably held in either of its two extremepositions, shown respectively in full and dotted lines in Fig. 9, by aspring I3I having a bulge I32 engaged by a projection I33 in line withthe 5 main arm of the lever I29. The lever is provided around itsfulcrum with an enlargement having radial projections I34 and I35extending into the paths travelled by the pins I01 located in thepattern belt. A suitable flexible connector 0 I35 extends from the outerend of the lever I29 to' the end of the lever 52. With the parts in 'theposition shown in full lines in Fig. 9, the

valves for discharging the paint are closed. When now a properly locatedpin I01 on the pat- 05 tern belt rides against the projection I34, thelever I29 is snapped to the position shown in dotted lines, thus pullingthe lever 52 upward and opening the valves. The parts remain in thisposition until another properly located pin I01 m strikes the projectionI35 swinging the lever I29 from the dotted line position back to thefull line position and thus allowing the spring 84 to close the valves.

It will thus be seen that at any time the ma- 1 chine may be placedunder the control of this pattern mechanism and operate under itscontrol to produce any desired arrangement of the roadway, as, forexample, at a short distance from a curb, and the invention providesmeans for painting such a stripe. For this purpose a pair of auxiliarywheels similar to the front pair of wheels hereinbefore described aresupported from the front body section of the machine for-- ward of thefront wheels. The wheels of this auxiliary pair are maintained parallelwith and at one side of the longitudinal axis of the front section andare spaced apart the width of the desired stripe and provision is madefor feeding the paint to the space between the auxiliary wheels. Thisauxiliary apparatus would only be in position when it was desired topaint such a side stripe and consequently would preferably be detachablyconnected to the machine and provided with detachable connectionsextending to the paint and air supply. A form of construction isillustrated somewhat in detail in Fig. 5 and the position thereof on themechine is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The auxiliary wheels I31and I38 are shown as having tires I39 of the same material as in thecase of the main front wheels. These tires are shown having an innerannular rib and in each case clamped in place between a rigid portion ofthe body of the wheel and an annular plate I40 by suitable bolts. Thewheels are mounted on ball bearings I4I on a central hub structurerigidly connected to and supported by a bracket I42. This bracket issuitably connected to and extends forward and then laterally from thehead 8 of the front section of the machine. This auxiliary pair ofwheels is provided with the wipers I43 and a receptacle I44 similar tothose already described. Likewise, the means for discharging the paintbetween the wheels is illustrated as similar to that already described.The nozzle spray head I45, the valve head I46 with its operating leverI41 and connection I48 extending therefrom, the pipe I49 for the paintand the pipe I50 for the compressed air may also be of similarconstruction to that already described. Flexible or hose connections I5Iand I52 extending respectively to the paint and air pipes areillustrated. When the auxiliary striping mechanism is in use, theflexible pipes 48 and 50 may be disconnected from the pipes 45 and 49and connected to the flexible pipes I5I and I52, respectively. The leverI41 for controlling the valves will be operated in the same manner asthe lever 52 and have its connector I48 extending back to the dashboardor other convenient position for operation.

It will thus be seen that by the use of this auxiliary mechanism themachine may readily be guided so as to paint a stripe adjacent to a curbI53 at the side of the road or along any desired line at the side of themachine.

It is important, if not necessary, that the driver of the machine shallhave some accurate guide on the roadway to enable the painted stripe tobe applied in the required position laterally of the roadway. If themachine is employed in repainting a worn or partially obliteratedstripe, the driver can use that as a guide, but usually it will benecessary to mark the roadway sufflciently to enable the driver to guidethe machine with accuracy and paint an even and'regular stripe. For thepurpose of insuring the required guiding of the machine, the inventionprovides a simple and effective means. Preferablythe machine will be runover the roadway, making a temporary mark on the roadway. Then the ma,-chine will be guided by the driver to follow as closely as possible thismark but avoiding irregularities therein to paint an even stripe.

The front body section of the machine is shown as provided with aforwardly projecting frame I54 secured at I55 to the front end of thebody section and at I58 to the yoke I2, so that this frame is rigid withthe front body section and symmetrically disposed laterally with respectto its longitudinal axis. For preliminarily mark- Ing the roadway, thereis shown in Fig. 1 an arm I51 hinged at I58 to a support I59 which, whenIn use, will be mounted on the frame I54 so that the arm I51 will swingin a vertical plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of thefront-section and preferably about in the plane of one of the frontstarting wheels. This arm has adjustably mounted therein a block I50 ofsuitable marking material, such, for example, as soapstone. Thus as themachine is driven over theroadway, the required preliminary mark will bemade.

In order to enable a required line longitudinally of the roadway at thecenter thereof or at a predetermined distance from the center or fromeither edge of the roadway to be determined, the machine may be providedwith an indicating mechanism. An indicator IBI is shown mounted on asuitable support I62 from the frame I54 so as to face the driver andreadily be viewed by him as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The elements of this indicator are operated by flexible shafts I12 andI13 which extend, respectively, to, and'rotate with, shafts I10 and I19journalled in brackets I and II" symmetrically located on the frontsection of the body as, for example, in the space behind the driver'sseat. The shafts I10 and I19 have secured thereto similar large pulleysI02 and similar small pulleys I08. Thus equal amounts of rotary movementof the pulleys will be transmitted through the flexible shafts to giveequal movements of the indicating elements. Two cords I84 and I85 ofequal length extend around and are connected to the correspondingpulleys I02. These cords run over suitable guides I88 and down throughtubes I81 carried by the yoke I2. Rods I88 are secured, preferablyremovably, to the yoke and project laterally therefrom at right anglesthereto.,

Take-up means are provided for rotating the pulleys I02 reversely to therotation effected by pulling the cords and for that purpose levers I89are fulcrumed at I90 at the rear of the driver's seat.

It will thus be seen that if the ends of the cords I84 and I85 be drawnoutward at right angles to the yoke I2, as indicated by the guide rodsI85, and to equal distances from the yoke, the indicating elements willturn together and remain in alignment, while if one cord be drawn agreater distance than the other, the indicating elements will separate.In use, therefore, the ends of the cords are held by men and carriedalong as close as possible to the side edges of the roadway and if amarking line is to be laid midway of the roadway, the driver of themachine simply has to steer it so as to keep the indicating elements inalignment.

The machine is provided with suitable lights and other means forassisting the driver in viewing the marking of the roadway, the paintingof advance of the laying of the paint.

the stripe and in properly steering the machine. A light is shown at I93on the front of the hood 26 directed toward the indicator I6I andanother light I94 is conveniently mounted on the frame I54 reflectingdirectly upon the roadway. A mirror I95 adiustably mounted at the frontend 'of the frame I 54 enables the driver to viewthe space between thewheels where the painted stripe is being laid and also the bulk ofmarking material I80. The machine is also provided with a suitablebumper I96 at the front end of the frame I54 and alsowith an upright I91to protect the indicator IGI. It is desirable also that the roadwayshould be cleaned in advance of the marking of the line when the markerI60 is used and in For that purpose a scrubbing brush I98 is shownresting on the roadway and pivotally connected at I99 to the lower endof the upright I91.-

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A striping machine comprising a rearbody section having a pair ofsupporting wheels, a front body section, a pivotal connection betweenthe two sections having its pivotal axis vertical, a pair of supportingwheels on the front section spaced apart the width of the desired stripeand maintained parallel with and equidistant from the longitudinal axisof the front section passing through said pivotal axis, a platform onthe front section in the rear of and in longitudinal alignment with thesaid pivotal axis and front wheels, means for feeding paint to the spacebetween the front wheels and means on the front section controlled fromthe platform for turning said section on the pivotal axis, thus toenable a driver located on the platform always to be in line with thespace where the paint is applied and readily and accurately to guide themachine along the line of the desired stripe.

2. A striping machine comprising the construction defined in claim 1 inwhich the pivotal axis of the connection between the two body sectionsintersects the axis of the pair of front wheels.

3. A striping machine comprising the construction defined in claim .1,together with means operable from the said platform for controlling thepaint feeding means.

i. A striping machine comprising a pair of roadway-engaging wheelsspaced apart the width of the desired stripe, means for feeding paint tothe space between the wheels, and means for discharging to, andtransversely across, the wheel treads a strip section of sheet materialto be carried by the wheels to the roadway to receive roadway engagingwheels spaced apart the widthof the desired stripe, means for feedingpaint to the space between the wheels, and pattern-controlled means fordischarging to, and transversely across, the front wheel treads stripsections of sheet material to be carried by said wheels to the roadwayto receive the paint at the beginning and at the end of each painted.stripe.

'7. A striping machine comprising a rear bo y section having a pair ofsupporting wheels, a front body section, a pivotal connection betweenthe two sections having its pivotal axis vertical, a pair of supportingwheels on the front section spaced apart the width of the desired stripeand maintained parallel with and equidistant from the longitudinal axisof the front section passing through said pivotal axis, a platform onthe front section in the rear of and in longitudinal alignment with thesaid pivotal axis and front wheels, means for feeding paint to the spacebetween the front wheels, a steering post journalled in the frontsection at the front of said platform and having a pinion at its lowerend, and an arcuate rack on the rear section engaging said pinion andhaving its center coincident with said pivotal axis, thus to enable adrive located on the platform always to be in line with the space wherethe paint is applied and to steer the ,machine along the line of thedesired stripe.

8. A striping machine comprising a rear body section having a pair ofsupporting wheels, a front body section having a pair of supportingwheels maintained parallel with the longitudinal axis of the frontsection and spaced apart the width of the desired stripe, a pivotalconnection between the two sections having its pivotal axis vertical andextending midway the front wheels,

a nozzle mounted on the front section between the supporting wheels tospray paint to the space between the wheels and thus form a stripe uponthe roadway the width of said space, a paint container and a source ofcompressed air mounted on the rear section, and pipe connections ex-'tending respectively from said container and from said source ofcompressed air to the nozzle.

9. A striping machine comprising a pair of parallel spacedroadway-engaging wheels having slightly resilient tires withflat treadsand fiat inner side surfaces, means for discharging paint on the roadwaybetween said wheels to form a stripe as the machine advances, the widthof which is defined by the distance between the wheels, a receptaclemounted in the rear of the wheels, and wipers engaging the said innerside faces of the tires acting as the wheels rotate to wipe therefromany paint carried thereon and discharge it into the receptacle.

10. A striping machine comprising a pair of parallel spacedroadway-engaging wheels having slightly resilient tires with flat treadsand flat inner side surfaces, means for discharging paint on the roadwaybetween said wheels to form a stripe as the machine advances, the widthof which is defined by the distance between the wheels, a roll ofadhesive coated sheet material, means for detaching a strip section ofsaid material from the roll and positioning it with its adhesive faceupon and transversely of the wheel treads and across the interveningspace, and means for removing the strip section from the wheels after ithas been carried thereby down upon andoff from the roadway.

11. A striping machine having the construction defined in claim 10,together with means for controlling the discharge of the paint to causethe discharge to begin on a strip section after it has been carried bythe wheels to the roadway and to end on another strip section after ithas been carried by the wheels to the roadway.

12. A striping machine comprising a pair of parallel spacedroadway-engaging wheels having slightly resilient tires with flat treadsand flat inner side surfaces, means for discharging paint on the roadwaybetween said wheels to form a stripe as the machine advances, the widthof which is defined by the distance between the wheels, a roll of'adhesive-coated sheet material, and pattern-controlled means fordetaching a strip section of said material from the roll and ceptaclemounted in the rear of the wheels and means for removing the stripsection from the wheels and discharging it into the receptacle after ithas been carried by the wheels down upon and off from the roadway.

15. A striping machine comprising a pair of parallel spacedroadway-engaging wheels having silghtly resilient tires with fiat treadsand fiat in:

ner side surfaces, means for discharging paint on the roadway betweensaid wheels to form a stripe as the machine advances, the width of whichis defined by the distance between the wheels, a roll of adhesive-coatedsheet material, and normally inactive strip-feeding and severing meansacting when released to engage the wheels and be operatedthereby to feeda strip section of said sheet-material with its adhesive face intoengagement with the wheel treads transversely thereof and to sever thesaid section from the roll and then return to inactive position.

16. A striping machine comprising a rear body section having a pair ofsupporting wheels, a front body section having a pair of supportingwheels maintained parallel with the longitudinal axis of the frontsection and spaced apart the width of the desired stripe, a pivotalconnection between the two sections having its pivotal axis vertical andextending midway the front wheels, means on the front section forturning said section on the pivotal axis, an auxiliary pair of wheelsmaintained parallel with and at one side of the longitudinal axis of thefront section and supported from the front section forward of thesupporting wheels, the said auxiliary wheels being spaced apart thewidth of a desired stripe, and 20 means for feeding paint either to thespace between the front wheels or the space between the auxiliary wheelsas required.

1-7. A striping machine comprising the construction defined in claim 4,together with pattern mechanism for controlling the paint-feeding meansand the strip section-discharging means to cause stripes ofpredetermined length, separated predetermined distances to be paintedwith strip sections of the sheet material receiving the paint at eachend of each stripe.

ROMEO A. 'BossI.

